Machine for covering conductors



(No Model.)

C. KLOTZBAGH. MACHINE FOR COVERING GONDUGTORS. No. 463,810.

Patented Nov. 24, 1891.

' AMw NITED. STATES PATENT FFICE.

CIIRISTOPHE KLOTZBAOH, OF PASSAIO, NEIV JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR COVERING CONDUCTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,810, dated November24, 1891. Application filed August 1, 1891. $erial No. 401.364. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHE KLOTZ- BAOH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinesfor Covering Conductors; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to machines for covering electric conductors withinsulating material, the object of the invention being to cover theconductor uniformly with a protective layer of insulating material in amore convenient and efficient manner than has heretofore been done. Inan application filed by me contemporaneously herewith, Serial No.401,363, filed August 1, 1891, I have described a machine of thischaracter in which the insulating material was conveyed to thecovering-machine overa metallic apron driven by the same mechanism whichoperated the covering apparatus.

In my present invention the feed-apron is dispensed with and thecovering material is carried directly across the metallic table heatedby steam or any suitable agency.

The improvements described in this application are especially usefulwhen an insulating material is applied to the conductor with a tincoating, as is usually done with the final coating to facilitatevulcanization. In such instances the tin is provided as a backing to theweb or strip of insulating compound, and both are fed to the coveringapparatus.

My present invention embodies improvements in the covering wheels orrolls, so as to enable them to give a positive feed to the conductorbeing covered and to surround it with an insulating-envelope completelyround in cross-section, neither of which incidents can be perfectlyaccomplished by machines heretofore used for this purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate this invention, Figure 1is a central longitudinal vertical section of a machine embodying myimprovements, parts thereof being omitted as unnecessary to a clearexposition of the mode of operation, and the heating-table across whichthe web of insulating compound is carried being broken in order to bringthe illustration within the field of the drawings. Fig. 2'is a plan ofmy machine as illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of adetail, illustrating the gearing by which the covering wheels or rollsare operated. Fig. 4C is a side elevation of one of the covering-rolls,and Fig. 5 is a detail illustrating the covering-rolls and the rotarycutter.

The insulating compound is placed upon a strip of tin and fed across theface of a steambox 0, into which steam is admitted by an induction-pipeD and exhausted through a pipe D. The web of insulating compound isrepresented at 00.00. This is drawn forward by the covering-rolls M Msimultaneously with the conductor e, which is fed from a suitable reel.-Each "covering-roll M M is provided with a peripheral semicirculargroove, so that the two wheels together completely inclose the conductorand insulating-envelope as it passes between them. The wheels are milledboth on the adjoining edges and in the bottom of the groove, by whichthey firmlygrip the conductor being covered and givea positive feed tothe conductor and covering-strip. Good results may be attained when theedges only of the rolls are milled, and when the tin backing is not usedthe adjoining edges only of the rolls are milled. I prefer, however, tomill the groove also when both compound and tin are used. This is animportant advantage over machines of this kind as heretofore used, inwhich smooth rollers only partially embracing the conductor were usedand the latter had to be pulled through the machine by hand while it wasin operation. In front of the covering-rolls is a grooved Wheel '1",mounted in a pivoted frame, which may be varied in pressure byadjustment of the sliding weight Q; on the arm 0. This wheel guides thecondoctor to the covering-rolls. The compound is curled about theconductor by means of the ridges I I, mounted upon the guide-bar R. Theconductor is kept in alignment by a grooved wheels, journaled in springssecured to the pivoted frame, the tension of these springs being variedby means of an adj usting-screw 25. At the delivery side of thecovering-rolls and secured to the guide-barR is a fixed steel strip W,with which a pivoted strip W co-operates, the latter being heldelastically against the former by means of a spring T. The strips \V \Vtogether form a circular throat, through which the covered conductor iscarried. The conductor is fed by the action of the covering-rollsbetween these strips, and the excess of material where V the edges ofthe strip were united by the covering-wheels is cut off by the rotarycutter O. The latter is driven by means of gear-wheels N Q P, operatedby one of the covering-rolls. The covering-rolls are mounted in yieldingjournal-boxes L L, the amount of tension being controlled by a spring Iregulated by adjusting-screws ll. Motion is imparted to the coveringapparatus by the pulley G on the main shaft ll. As the conductor isdrawn forward by the covering-rolls the Web of insnlatin g compound,with its metallic backin is carried across the steam-box C, and theinsulating compound is softened, so that its edges will readily unitewhen squeezed together by the covering-rolls. The wire and Web are keptin alignment by the roller S, and the edges of the compound are curledby the guides I I. The milled rim of the coveringrolls insures a tightgrip upon the tin backing, which results in a perfect feed of the wireand compound and insures perfect adhesion of the edges of the compound.The

knife W removes the edge of the seam, so that when the covered conductoremerges from the guides V \V' it is provided with a circular covering.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for covering a conductor with an insulating compound,the coveringrolls M M provided with semicircular grooves for pressingthe insulating compound firmly around the wire, said rolls being milledon their co-operating edges.

2. In a machine for covering a conductor with an insulating compound,the coveringrolls M M, provided with semicircular grooves for pressingthe insulating compound firmly around the wire, said rolls being milledon their co-operating edges and in the grooves.

3. In a machine for covering a conductor with an insulating compound,the combination of the covering-Wheels, means for lead ing the Wire andcovering compoundthereto, the guide-bars \V \V', relatively movable, anda cutter for removing the excess of compound from the covered conductor.

4. In a machine for covering a conductor with an insulating-envelope, afixed heatingsurface, means for drawing the insulating coinponnd overthe surface to soften it, and covering-rolls for pressing the compoundaround the conductor.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTOPIIE KLOTZBACII.

lVitnesses:

E. O. GRIGG, STEPHEN L, CoLEs.

